Casket lock structure



Oct. 6, 1964 o. SCHEVENELL 3,151,375

CASKET LOCK STRUCTURE Filed June 2l, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

44 [MW/ gjgiwwl ark)" far/er jzfarfigw.

United States Patent 3,151,375 CASKET LOCK STRUCTURE Leonard 0. Schevenell, Niles, Ill., assignor to The Merit Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed .Iune 21, 1961, Ser. No. 118,581 2 Claims. (CI. 27-16) This invention is in the field of caskets and is concerned with a combination casket and lock structure which greatly simplifies holding a casket closed but at the same time has a good appearance.

A primary object of my invention is a casket lock structure which can be simply and quickly attached to the outside of the casket.

Another object is a lock structure which does not have to be mounted inside the casket and is, therefore, much easier to assemble.

Another object is a casket lock structure which simplifies production problems.

Another object is a casket lock structure which, al though totally on the outside of the casket, nevertheless, presents a good appearance.

Another object is a simplified casket and lock structure which is, nevertheless, reliable in use and operation.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a casket with my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the lock structure shown in FIGURE 2, partly in section, with the lock open or unlocked; and

FIGURE 4 is a section along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 with the handle removed.

In FIGURE 1, I show a casket structure in which a casket body is indicated at which is generally open at its upper end, as at 12, the opening being defined by marginal edges 14, 16, 18 and 20. The open upper end is closed by a top 22 which, in the case of FIGURE 1, is shown as a split top or half couch having a foot portion 24 and a head portion 26 shown in FIGURE 1 as open. The top is hinged, as at 28, to the marginal edge of the body so that the top may be pivoted open or closed and, if desired, may be held open by a suitable linkage 30 or the like. Both the head and foot portions of the top may be locked closed by a lock structure 32, each of which cooperates with a pull-down element 34, explained in detail hereinafter.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the front marginal edge 16 may take the form of a closed channel 36 having a suitable gasket 38 or the like on its upper surface to seal against a flat surface 40 on the top. It will be noted that the top extends somewhat beyond the lateral confines of the bodys marginal edge 16, as at 42.

The lock structure for both the head and foot ends may be the same and only one will be explained in detail. Briefly, the lock structure includes a housing 44 which may be U-shaped in cross section opening outwardly and defined by an inner somewhat vertical portion 46 and top and bottom legs 48 and 50. I connect the inner portion 46 to the outside of the marginal edge 16 of the casket by any suitable means, such as screws 52 or the like. It should be understood that instead of screws I may connect the housing by spot welding or the like.

As seen in FIGURE 3, the top and bottom legs 48 and are reduced to tabs 54 and 56 at their left end to provide a pivot 58 for a handle 60. The handle 60 overlies the housing 44 and is closed in front as well as on all four sides but opens rearwardly so that it fits over the housing in the manner shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

A lock slide 62 is positioned inside the housing and 3,151,375 Patented Oct. 6, 1964 may be generally L-shaped with a vertical leg 64 and a top horizontal leg 66. The vertical leg 64 has suitable elongated openings 68 to accept pins 70 mounted inside the housing which hold the lock slide in place by snap washers 72 or the like but allow it to move back and forth longitudinally.

The upper leg 66 of the lock slide has an elongated slot 74 with an opening 76 at one end. The pull-down element 34 may take the form of a pin held in the top by a suitable nut 77 or the like with a cam groove 78 toward its lower end on one side. The pin, when the top is closed, is aligned with an opening 80 in the top of the housing which, in turn, is aligned with the enlarged Opening 76 in the lock slide when the lock slide is in unlocked position. The lock slide is formed with a cam surface 82 which is depressed, as shown in FIGURE 4, on one side of the elongated slot 74. The cam portion 82 is aligned with the portion of the hold down pin defined by the cam groove '78, as shown in FIGURE 3, so that with the pin fully inserted into the housing, when the lock slide is moved from left to right, unlocked to the lock position, the cam portion 82 will engage the bottom of the cam groove 78 thereby pulling the top down firmly against the gasket 38.

A link 84 may be pivoted to the handle 60 between the ends thereof as at 86 and also to a depressed portion 88 of the lock slide. I may encircle the pivot 86 with a suitable spring 90 to bias the handle to a closed position at all times. It will be noted that the link has a slot 92 to fit over the hold-down pin, as does the handle at 94 when the handle is in fully closed position.

The use, operation and function of my invention are as follows:

Basically I provide a combination casket and lock structure which greatly simplifies assembly. For example, the lock is entirely located on the outside of the casket except for possibly a suitable mounting arrangement. Be that as it may, the operating mechanism of the lock structure can be easily tack welded, screwed or otherwise connected to the outer marginal edge of the casket body. Thus, it does not require any complicated sliding bars, hooks, latches or otherwise inside of the casket body.

One of the most important advantages is simplicity and ease of assembly along with reliability of operation. Since casket appearance governs or influences sales to a heavy extent, the lock structure has the advantage that it does not min or otherwise detract from the external appearance of the casket.

At the same time, reliability of operation has not been sacrificed and the lock structure is accurate in use and quiet in operation, both being desirable features.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that suitable additional modifications, changes, substitutions and alterations may be made without departing from the inventions fundamental theme. I, therefore, wish that the invention be unrestricted, except as by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a casket structure including a casket body generally open at its upper end and having four marginal edges, a top pivoted to the body and adapted to close the otherwise open upper end, hinges between one of the marginal edges and the top, the improvement comprising a lock structure on the marginal edge of the body opposite the hinges, said lock structure including a generally U-shaped housing, open at the side, mounted on the marginal edge and extending laterally outwardly therefrom, a handle pivoted to the housing about a vertical axis to swing laterally outwardly therefrom, said handle having horizontal side walls and a vertical front wall which overlie and close the housing, a lock slide Within the housing adapted to move longitudinally between locked and unlocked positions, a hold-down element on the top opposite the hinges adapted to cooperate with the housing, an opening through the top of the housing to accept the hold-down element allowing it to enter the housing to be engaged by the lock structure, a link pivoted to the handle and to the lock slide constructed to move the lock slide back and fourth between locked and unlocked positions in response to pivotal movement of the handle, a spring connected between the handle and link for biasing the handle and lock slide toward locked position, said lock slide including a longitudinal slot, a cam surface formed in the lock slide along one side of the slot, a cam groove in the hold-down element aligned with the cam surface on the lock slide, said lock slide and holddoWn element being relatively positioned, when the casket top is closed, to permit the lock slide to move into the cam groove with the cam surface applying a downwardly directed locking force to the holddoWn element.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said hold-down element has a width greater than that of the slot in the lock slide, and an enlarged opening at one end of the lock slide slot which is of a size to permit entrance of the hold-down element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 12, 1951 

1. FOR USE WITH A CASKET STRUCTURE INCLUDING A CASKET BODY GENERALLY OPEN AT ITS UPPER END AND HAVING FOUR MARGINAL EDGES, A TOP PIVOTED TO THE BODY AND ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE OTHERWISE OPEN UPPER END, HINGES BETWEEN ONE OF THE MARGINAL EDGES AND THE TOP, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A LOCK STRUCTURE ON THE MARGINAL EDGE OF THE BODY OPPOSITE THE HINGES, SAID LOCK STRUCTURE INCLUDING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED HOUSING, OPEN AT THE SIDE, MOUNTED ON THE MARGINAL EDGE AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, A HANDLE PIVOTED TO THE HOUSING ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS TO SWING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID HANDLE HAVING HORIZONTAL SIDE WALLS AND A VERTICAL FRONT WALL WHICH OVERLIE AND CLOSE THE HOUSING, A LOCK SLIDE WITHIN THE HOUSING ADAPTED TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS, A HOLD-DOWN ELEMENT ON THE TOP OPPOSITE THE HINGES ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE HOUSING, AN OPENING THROUGH THE TOP OF THE HOUSING TO ACCEPT THE HOLD-DOWN ELEMENT ALLOWING IT TO ENTER THE HOUSING TO BE ENGAGED BY THE LOCK STRUCTURE, A LINK PIVOTED TO THE HANDLE AND TO THE LOCK SLIDE CONSTRUCTED TO MOVE THE LOCK SLIDE BACK AND FOURTH BETWEEN LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS IN RESPONSE TO PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE HANDLE, A SPRING CONNECTED BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND LINK FOR BIASING THE HANDLE AND LOCK SLIDE TOWARD LOCKED POSITION, SAID LOCK SLIDE INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT, A CAM SURFACE FORMED IN THE LOCK SLIDE ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE SLOT, A CAM GROOVE IN THE HOLD-DOWN ELEMENT ALIGNED WITH THE CAM SURFACE ON THE LOCK SLIDE, SAID LOCK SLIDE AND HOLDDOWN ELEMENT BEING RELATIVELY POSITIONED, WHEN THE CASKET TOP IS CLOSED, TO PERMIT THE LOCK SLIDE TO MOVE INTO THE CAM GROOVE WITH THE CAM SURFACE APPLYING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED LOCKING FORCE TO THE HOLD-DOWN ELEMENT. 